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Scalable and High-Performance Radiative Cooling Fabrics through an Electrospinning Method.
Yunlong Zhang1,2, Jie Yu1,2
1Shenzhen Engineering Lab for Supercapacitor Materials, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Advanced Materials, School of Material Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen, University Town, Shenzhen 518055, China.
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
|September 28, 2022
Summary
This study developed a novel radiative cooling fabric using electrospinning. The material effectively lowers body temperature under sunlight without energy input, offering a sustainable solution for cooling.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Thermal Engineering
Background:
- Radiative cooling fabrics offer passive thermal management, reducing body temperature without energy consumption.
- Developing scalable and effective methods for producing these fabrics is crucial for widespread adoption.
- Existing methods may face challenges in cost, scalability, or performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a scalable and cost-effective method for producing radiative cooling fabrics.
- To investigate the thermal performance of electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) and SiO2 nanoparticle composite fabrics.
- To demonstrate the potential of these fabrics for passive cooling applications.
Main Methods:
- Electrospinning of poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropene) (PVDF-HFP) nanofibers.
- Incorporation of silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles into the nanofiber matrix.
- Characterization of optical properties (solar reflectivity and atmospheric window emissivity).
- In-house testing of the radiative cooling effect under direct sunlight.
Main Results:
- The fabricated fabric exhibited high solar reflectivity (>0.97) and high emissivity in the atmospheric window (>0.94).
- A significant radiative cooling effect of 15.9 °C was achieved under direct sunlight.
- The electrospinning method proved to be simple, scalable, and utilized abundant, inexpensive raw materials.
Conclusions:
- Electrospun PVDF-HFP/SiO2 nanofiber fabrics are effective for passive radiative cooling.
- The developed fabrication method is scalable and economically viable.
- This technology holds promise for widespread application in energy-saving cooling solutions.
